POW POW POW!

Prince Raijun narrowed his eyes, throwing a flurry of blows against Rui, who promptly retaliated with a swift kick.

WHOOSH!

He swerved, evading it, only to find that it had arrived, nonetheless.

WHOOSH!

He evaded it for the second time, weaving through Rui's attack stance.

BAM BAM BAM BAM BAM!!

His blows struck Rui's guard, pushing him back as he rushed forward.

WHOOSH!

He cleanly evaded a retorting blow before blasting Rui with his most powerful kick.

BAM!!

SKDDDD…

Rui skidded back a few meters from the momentum of the kick.

Rui glanced up at the prince with an impressed expression. "Good. You've arrived."

The Martial Prince looked different from how he did when he began training under Rui more than a year ago. A calm aura of dense power seemed to emanate from the Martial Apprentice. His presence had grown heavier over the months of training with Rui.

"Congratulations, Prince Raijun," Rui calmly remarked. "You've now arrived at the cusp of the Squire Realm."

"…I see."

"You don't seem as excited as I expected you to be," Rui raised an eyebrow.

The Martial Prince stared into Rui's eyes. "It was inevitable, yet it's all thanks to you, Rui Quarrier. You have earned my eternal gratitude. When I become Emperor, I will fulfill any one wish you have, within reason."

"How about not making Kandria a Martial Supremacist nation?" Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

"Rejected."

"Shame," Rui shrugged.

He met Prince Raijun's eyes one last time. "I've fulfilled my end of the agreement. This is farewell."

Prince Raijun stared at Rui. "I'll be holding a celebration for when I become a Martial Squire. I'd like to invite you to it as the individual who helped me unlock my potential."

Rui shook his head. "I'm good."

Prince Raijun heaved a sigh. "I don't repeat myself often. And yet this is the first time I find myself repeating myself for the fourth time."

He extended a hand to Rui. "Join me, Rui Quarrier. I will give you anything you want."

A deafening moment of silence trickled in the air.

"And I'm going to have to repeat myself for the fourth time as well, Prince Raijun," Rui's eyes narrowed. "I will not join you. Not now. Not ever."

Prince Raijun closed his eyes, heaving a resigned sigh. "So be it. Rest assured, my favor to you is not contingent on your support of me. Love me or hate me, I will not forget my debt to you…Farewell."

Rui stared at him before turning around and leaving.

He exited the Mantian Royal Palace.

Yet this time, he was not heading back to the orphanage.

No, he had something much more important.

He activated Greater Phantomind Void, melting away into thin air.

That was a signal.

WHOOSH!

"Ready?" Master Reina asked him, appearing out of thin air. She had allowed him alone to perceive her existence.

"Yeah, let's go." Rui's eyes narrowed.

There was a reason that he was going through all the effort of even using his and Master Reina's stealth combined while traveling to Vargard.

That was where he would be meeting the four royals.

However, he could not let anyone know that he was meeting them. There would be no point in acquiescing to making Prince Raijun a Squire if he openly revealed he was plotting against him. He would be making even more enemies, defeating the point of accepting to train him instead of refusing.

'I need to operate from the shadows," Rui narrowed his eyes. 'Simultaneously, I need to find a permanent solution. Master Reina is right; this cannot go on forever. Somebody needs to ascend the throne.'

Not only did Kandria need an able ruler, but he himself could not do this forever. Something needed to give.

All for the sake of maintaining the harmony and peace of Kandria.

All for the sake of not disrupting the fragile lives of the people he loved.

He needed to find a proper solution.

'I'll do it.'

A resolution was made.

'I will not allow these maniacs to ascend the throne,' His eyes sharpened. 'I will find a solution to a harmonious future.'

He didn't know how, but he would do it.

Eventually, they reached the location that he had decided upon to meet with them in Vargard.

He wanted to avoid any potential surveilling Martial Masters to know that he was in Vargard. Thus, he was using Master Reina to transit across Kandria. He never once deactivated Greater Phantomind Void, even consuming rejuvenation potions to keep it active constantly, even as he entered the unremarkable building that he had designated as their meeting place.

The Beggar's Sect definitely could not be allowed to know that he was here, and that was difficult to achieve.

CLACK

He opened the door to the meeting room featuring the four royals sitting around a large table.

They didn't look any different than they did before.

Yet they were was a deep sense of resignation that radiated from them.

"No Martial Masters?" Rui raised an eyebrow, noticing that they were unguarded.

"…"

"You should bring them. This is irresponsible," Rui remarked.

"…"

"Your royals of the nation, how can you appear before me without them? Go call them."

"Why do you care so much about our bodyguards being here?" Prince Randal narrowed his eyes.

A glint of suspicion flashed across them.

"They have secured the place; thus, our safety is not a problem."

"I see," Rui shrugged.

Yet inwardly, he was grinning.

"Now then, let's begin," Rui remarked as he sat at the other end of the table. "I arranged this meeting for one reason."

His eyes narrowed. "To tell you that I can ruin you at any moment I desire. If you don't do as I say, then I have no problem ending you. In turn, if you do as I say, your life won't become horrible. In each case, however…your ambition for the throne ends."

Rui stared at them with narrowed eyes. "From this day forth, your sole purpose exists to stop Raijun from becoming Emperor, got it?"